MIC 5 kit culture vials at the Air Allergen lab

MIC 5 KIT ANALYSIS

Detect Corrosion-Causing Bacteria with a 5-Bacteria Culture Kit.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) drives pipeline failures, cooling tower fouling, and tank integrity issues. Our MIC 5 kit profiles the five bacterial communities responsible so you can intervene before metal loss becomes a failure.

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Lab analyst processing MIC 5 kit culture vials

Why Profile All Five Bacterial Groups?

MIC is a community problem. Sulfate-reducing bacteria draw the headlines, but they thrive under biofilms built by slime-formers and protected by tuberculation from iron-related bacteria. A single-target culture misses that picture; a five-bacteria kit tells you which community is actually present and active.

Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB)

Anaerobic organisms that produce hydrogen sulfide and are the canonical driver of pitting corrosion in pipelines, storage tanks, and cooling-tower fill.

Iron-Related Bacteria (IRB)

Form tubercles and biofilm that protect SRB and other corrosive organisms. Surface as orange or red staining and tuberculation.

Acid-Producing Bacteria (APB)

Generate organic acids that lower local pH at metal surfaces. Drive under-deposit corrosion and biofilm-protected attack.

Slime-Forming Bacteria (SLYM)

Produce extracellular polymeric substances that protect anaerobic communities and accelerate microbial corrosion.

Heterotrophic Aerobic Bacteria (HAB)

General aerobic population marker. Tracks overall biological activity and biofilm risk in process water.

Industrial process water samples ready for MIC analysis

Where MIC 5 Kits Are Used

Pipelines and Process Water

Oil and gas pipelines, refinery process water, and produced-water streams where MIC is a known integrity hazard.

Cooling Towers and HVAC

Cooling tower bulk water and fill samples to track microbial loading driving corrosion and treatment-program effectiveness.

Storage Tanks and Sumps

Above-ground storage tanks, fuel sumps, and other low-flow water-contacting volumes prone to anaerobic colonization.

Industrial Process Water

Manufacturing, paper, mining, and food-and-beverage water systems subject to bioburden and corrosion-control programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

MIC is metal degradation accelerated by the metabolism of microorganisms in or near the metal surface. It often appears as deep, localized pitting that conventional corrosion modeling misses, and it is a major contributor to pipeline integrity failures.

MIC is rarely caused by a single organism. SRB are the headline driver, but IRB, APB, slime-formers, and aerobes work together to protect anaerobic colonies and accelerate attack. The 5-vial kit profiles all five communities so you can target the right intervention.

Each kit ships with five vials of selective media. Inoculate at the sample point, seal, and ship room temperature to our lab. Avoid contamination by sampling fresh, flowing water and following the included SOP.

Cultures incubate for up to 8 days for definitive negatives, with positive activity often visible earlier. We report progressive observations along with the final reading.

Why Choose Air Allergen for MIC 5 Kit Analysis?

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory with documented chain of custody
Independent analytical lab without remediation conflicts of interest
Progressive observations that flag positive activity as soon as it appears
Plain-language reporting for asset integrity, water-treatment, and operations teams
Sampling-plan support so you collect samples that reflect real system conditions

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Where We Run MIC 5 Kit Analysis

Ship samples from anywhere across the Southeast. Sample analysis is performed at our ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited facility in Atlanta.

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